Selector mechanism



April 15, 1941. .1 T. HAmsWoRTH, JR., Erm. 2,238,113

SELECTOR MECHANISM 5, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.

fm@ ATTORNEY.

APN] 15 1941- J. T. rzAYNsWoRTH, JR., x-:TAL 2,233,113

` SELECTOR MECHANISH Filed Nov. 5, 1957 4 sheets-sheet 2 A/f/e ATTORNEY.

April 15, 1941.

.1. T. I-ZYNSWORTH, JR., ETAL 2,238,113

SELECTOR uzcnmrs Filed Nov. 5. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet .'3

f 7U I| INVENTORS. vf49 \V f/s/f//e ATTO ETAL 2,238,113

April 15, 1941.

J. T. HAYNSNORTH, JR.,

SELECTOR MECHANISM Patented Apr. 15, 1941 SELECTOR MECHANISM John T. Haynsworth, Jr., and William E. Johnson, Inverness, Fla.

Application November 5, 1937, Serial No. 172,948

v(Cl. 194-15) 2 Claims.

This invention has for one of its principal objects the provision of selecting mechanism of general application'and especially suited for use with coin-operated apparatus.

Another object of the invention 'is the provision of selector `mechanism adapted for use with coin-operated apparatus and effective to permit a second or repeated operation of the apparatus without deposit of another coin.

Another object is a selecting mechanism for use with a coin-operated amusement apparatus such as a phonograph and adapted to be conditioned for selective operation by a coin deposited for the purpose of operating the phonograph, the selector being effective under certain circumstances to operate a coin ejector which effects another or repeat operation of the phonograph without depositing another coin.

Another object is a coin-conditioned selector `and permutation mechanism which may be used with any selectively controlled apparatus such as automatic phonographs, whereby the sequence of selections may be continuously varied, and is further effective under certain circumstances to effect a repeat operation without deposit of another coin.

Still another and more specific object is the provision of a selector including a disc having selective openings therethrough and selector fingers, any one of which may be raised by a coin .into position to be pushed. against the disc and through one of the selective openings, and a coin ejector actuated by one of the selector fingers passing through the disc and effective to release a coin for a repeat or free operation of associated apparatus such as a phonograph.

A further object is the provision of selecting mechanism of general application and which includes a rotatable disc With aplurality of circumferentially disposed openings, a plurality of selector fingers positioned for movement variously into said openings, mechanism for revolving the disc and mechanism for urging an entire bank of selector fingers toward the disc for movement of one finger into a properly positioned selector opening therein, and control mechanism operated by a particular selector nger which moves into one of the selector holes.

Other objects reside in the novel means for revolving the disc, the form and operation of the selector fingers, and means for conditioning the same for actuation by deposit of a coin in the machine, together With the construction and arrangement of cooperating parts and mechanisms to be hereinafter described and claimed in view of the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of one form of the selector unit;

Fig. 2 is -a vertical side section along lines 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear vertical section along lines 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along lines 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the stopping pawl, as seen along lines 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation partly in section of the brake clutch looking in the direction cf lines 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the selector finger and operating spring assembly viewed in the direction of lines '1 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a reduced fragmentary vertical side section showing the operating crank and antifraud devices, seen along lines 3 8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a reduced fragmentary front section showing further anti-fraud details, including the shifting coin plate, as seen in the direction of lines 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the coin return means as viewed along lines lil-I of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of the coin ejector and operating means viewed in the direction of lines I I l l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical side section of the coin return slide, seen in the direction of lines l2 l2 of Fig. 1l;

Fig, 13 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of the selecting switch means on the selector disc;

Fig. 14 is a circuit diagram for the selector;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective fragment of the selector bars and operating leverage;

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional detail through the eccentric mounting for bell crank 26;

Fig. 17 is a vertical sectional detail through the slip clutch and bearing on spinning disc 2l.

While particular forms of construction are de scribed herein in detail for the purpose of illustrating the invention in one of its preferred forms, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to such details except as may be hereinafter provided in the appended claims, the device claimed being intended to include all equivalent forms, arrangements and functional equivalents fairly within the spirit of the invention.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the control device includes a cabinet or housing l5 provided with a coin depository in the form of a plate l5 having a plurality of coin receiving apertures Il, each preferably identified by number to correspond to a selection identiiied on an instruction card i3 positioned therebelow.

At the upper end of the cabinet there is a hood portion |9 having an arcuate sight opening 20 behind which appears indicia, such as the sequential numbers shown, on a rotatable disc 2| ill mounted within the housing. There is provided actuating means in the form of a lever 22. Also there is provided in the lower region of the housing a contact plug 23, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

The operator selects a particular coin aperture ll', deposits his coin therein, and pushes the lever 22 away from him toward the back of the machine for the purpose of rotating the dial 2|, and this is accomplished by the mechag nism seen in Fig. 3 which includes a main shaft 26 rotated by the operation of the handle 22 and having a multiple crank provided with an arm which turns toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, when the handle is initially moved, re-

sulting in an anti-clockwise movement of a bell crank 23 through a link 2l' connecting the same with the arm 25.

Disc spinning means The bell crank 23 then depresses a rod 23 connected to a lever 29 on a shaft 3S to one end of which is attached an end of a leaf spring 3|, the opposite end 32 of this leaf spring being connected to one end of a pawl rod 33 supportably guided in a cleat 34 and having its opposite end 35 offset and resting in the teeth of a ratchet gear 33 (see also Fig. 4) which in turn is clamped in rigid assembly with the disc 2| and its bearings 31 between nuts threaded onto shaft 33 the latter being mounted on brackets 38 in the hood portion I9 of the cabinet or housing. It will also be observed in Fig. 2 that there is a sleeve 3B clamped with the ratchet on shaft 38.

When the rod 28 is depressed as aforesaid, and

the shaft 33 turns in an anti-clockwise direction (Fig. 3), the spring 3| will be bowed into the dotted line position there seen, thus tending to draw the pawl 33 toward the left and rotate the disc 2| in an anti-clockwise direction.

Disc locking pawl However, such rotation of the disc is prevented by means of a locking pawl 40 pivotally mounted as at 4| near one edge of the disc and urged by spring means 42 (see also Figs. 4 and 5) toward the disc to dispose its nose 43 in one of the notches 64 in the periphery of the disc, thus preventing movement of the latter by the pawl 33.

The disc 2| is freed for movement by the pawl 33 substantially ast the moment when the operating lever 22 reaches the limit of its stroke by virtue of the fact that the multiple crank in its anti-clockwise movement (Fig. 2) depresses a rod 45 connected at its lower end to a stud portion 43 on the multiple lever, and at its upper end 47 (Fig. 5) to the oiset arm 48 of the locking pawl 43, so that the latter is withdrawn from the notch in the disc with the result that .the pawl 33 (Fig. 3) is quickly snapped toward the left by the bowed spring 3|, whereupon the disc 2| rotates in an anti-clockwise direction.

Disc brake and sZip clutch It will be observed in Fig. 3 particularly that there is provided at the top of the disc a brake pawl ES pivotally mounted as at 53 on a bracket 5| in the hood portion I9 of the housing, this pawl having a nose 52 also receivable in one o1" the notches M on the periphery of the disc and tending to prevent rotation of the latter. The brake pawl i9 is connected by a rod 53 by means of a loop portion 54 at its opposite end to a pin on a crank arm 56 which floats on the sleeve 33 or" the disc shaft 33 (Fig. 6). The slip clutch mechanism includes a spring loop 51 having opposite end portions 53 pressing into opposlots 59 in the hub portion 56a of the crank arm 53 and bearing against the sleeve 38', which y tend to key or clutch the crank arm for rotation with the disc shaft sleeve 33 in an anticlookwise direction. However, when the lever arm 53 is rotated with the sleeve 33 of the disc a distance suihcient to cause the pin 55 to bear against the upper end of the loop 54, the disc and sleeve 33 will continue to rotate and the special spring clutch structure 5"!-53 will slip; this slippage while permitting the rotation of the disc, nevertheless holds the lever arm 53 in a raised position and consequently urges the rod 53 upwardly to lift the brake pawl 49 out of the slot lll and free the disc from the braking eiect of the pawl., it being observed that the nose 52 of the latter is cammed so as to permit it to ride in and out of the slots as the disc rotates. When the speed of the disc decreases, the ability of the clutch lever arrangement 56--57-58 to hold the brake in ineifective position decreases so that the brake pawl tends to drop back toward the periphery of the disc and into and out of the slots, thus retarding the disc, this retarding action being indeterminate because of the peculiar clutch arrangement shown in Fig. 6.

Operating Zever locking means When the operating lever is moved in the initial stroke to rotate the arms 60 of a multiple crank arm in Fig. 2, one of the multiple crank (see Fig. l5) is raised until its end portion 3| slips into a notch |52 (Fig. 8) in a lever 63 pivoted at one end 3ft and having a pivotal connection 65 with a latch rod S6 (referring now to Fig. 2) which slides horizontally in a bracket 5l near its opposite end, thus permitting the lever 63 to fall forward with the notch portion 62 underlying the nose 6| of the crank lever 60 and preventing the return movement of the same, it being observed that both the locking notch 62 and the inner edge 33 of the lever 53 are cammed or curved so that the nose 6| of the lever 50 tends to slide downwardly against the same from its raised position to retract the horizontally movable latch rod 66 toward the left in Fig. 8 or toward the right in Fig. 2. However, when the crank lever arm 6i) is raised as aforesaid into the notch 62, with the operating lever 22 at the limit of its initial stroke, the disc 2| begins to rotate and the slip clutch lever arm 5S is in raised position as previously described, with the result that the bell crank 68 (Fig. 3) having one arm connected by a rod 69 to a laterally projecting arm 'I0 on the clutch arm 53, is turned by the latter in an anti-clockwise direction, depressing the other bell crank arm 7| and consequentially moving a latch rod 'l2 connected thereto in a downward direction.

As the latch rod 12 moves downwardly, a latch pawl 13 connected to the lower end thereof is depressed and falls into a notch 'I4 in the main latch bar 66, the latter now being urged toward the left (Fig. 2) with the main crank arm 68 held inraised position as aforesaid, so that return movement (toward the right, Fig. 2) of the main latch bar 68 is prevented by the pawl 13, and hence the main shaft 24 and operating handle 22 are securely locked against retraction so long as the disc 2| -continues to rotate to hold :theA clutch arm 58 in raised position. Thus, the arcuate lever 89, the horizontal latch'bar 66 and pawl 13 operable by the clutch` arm 56 constitute one of the fraud-preventive mechanisms since further manipulation of the main operating lever is prevented thereby, so long as the disc continues to spin and until the clutch means releases the pawl 13. i

Coin deposit blocking It being remembered that a coin has been deposited and the lever 22 moved to its limit in one direction, there is provided a fur-ther fraud-preventive means in the form of a shifting coin plate (Fig. 9) having horizontally sliding movement on pin yand slot means 16 near its ends and being provided with a plurality of coin apertures normally adapted to register with the coin deposit openings |1 in the plate I8 in the front of the cabinet by means of a lever 11 pivotally mounted as at 18 and having an upper lateral extension 19 engaged in a slot in a projecting arm 88 attached to the plate 15. The lever 11 has its lower end 8| (Fig. 9) disposed for camming engagement with the side of the crank arm 88 so that when the latt-er is in its normally lo-wered position seen in Fig. 8, the lever 11 is pivoted in a clockwise direction (Fig. 9) to shift the coin register plate 15 to the right against the tension of spring means 82, so that coins may be deposited in the machine in any of the several apertures |1.

However, as soon as the main crank lever is raised responsive to kan operation of the lever 22, the lever 11 turns in a counterclockwise direction and the spring means 82 shifts the plate 19 to the left, thereby positioning the coin slots Variable spinning means As a feature of the permuting or interchanging operation of the selector operation, there is provided in addition to the brake pawl 49 (which variously tends to affect the movement of the `disc) a mechanism for varying the tension of the leaf spring 3| and hence varying the energy with `which the disc is initially turned, and this -mechanism includes, as seen in Fig. 2, a stud shaft 83 (Fig. 3 also) which is mounted in a bracket 84 on the door portion of the cabinet. The upper arm of the bell crank 28 is provided with a drop pawl engageable in the teeth of a ratchet gear 86 also mounted concentrically on the shaft 83 and which is rotated together with the shaft 83 each time the bell crank 26 makes an operative advancing stroke (toward the left, Fig. 2). The bell crank is mounted on an eccentric collar 88 (Fig. 16) rigid on shaft 88 in such manner that the bell crank assumes varying positions of ec- `centricity relative to the shaft 83, so that the stroke of the crank yand particularly its arm 26' connected to the rod 28, which tensions the spring, .thus varies the degree of .pivotation of the spring rod 38 and hence the extent to which the spring 3| is bowed.

Selector mechanism Having thus far described the `construction by which the disc 2| is set into motion and having set forth means for varying the initial energy applied to the disc to rotate it as well as the means for variously braking the movement of the disc, the selector mechanism is next to be described since it comes into play only after the disc comes to res-t.

When the disc 2| nally stops, the braking pawl 49 will dispose its nose 52 into another of the slots 44 and this latter operation will correspond to .a lowering or clockwise movement of the clutch lever arm 56, resulting in a 'pivoting of the bell crank 68 in a clockwise direction so that the latch rod 12 and the pawl 'I3 (Fig. 2) are withdrawn from the notch 14 in .the horizontal latch bar 68, thus permitting the main crank arm and associated arms 25, 46, etc., to return to the normal position seen in Fig. 2, this latter operation being accomplished by the operator who returns the operating handle 22 to its normal position at which time the locking pawl 49 will engage a notch 44 and secure the disc in the position in which it was stopped.

When .the coin was deposited through one of the coin openings I1 prior to the operation of the lever 22, the coin traveled along a chute guide 81 into a vertical chute 88 lpositioned above a corresponding selector lever 89 (Figs. 2 and 9 particularly) Where the coin 98 pivoted the lever in a clockwise direction and rested against a bail 9|, thus disposing the selector lever 89 in the dotted line position seen in Fig. Zand raising the correspending selector nger 89 inlto selecting position before a corresponding selector spring 89" thereabove.

Each of the selector fingers 89 is in the form of an offset substantially rigid spring wire having a horizontally extensive nose portion 89a and having a lower shank portion 92 rigidly mounted for longitudinal movement in the end of a corresponding selector lever 89, so that the several fingers such as 89 can be displaced in a vertical plane to align the horizontal nose portion 89a of one or more of the same for movement toward and away from the disc 2| (see Fig. l5 also).

Moreover, each of the several selector ngers 89 when raised as aforesaid is positioned in front of a corresponding selector spring 89", all of which springs are rigidly mounted at one end in a bar 93 extending crosswise of the machine between brackets 94 (Figs. 2 and 7).

Selector actuating means Attached to the crossrod 93 (Fig. 2) is a stepped lever 95 normally urged by a spring 98 to pivot the bank of selector springs 89" away from the bank of selector ngers 89', and the stepped lever is provided with a rst step 91 and a higher step 98. A double or looped rod member 99 (see also Fig. '1) is provided at its upper end with a roller |89 which rests on the lower step 91, the lower end of the double rod 99 passing through the main crank lever rod E8, so that when the latter moves upwardly upon the initial movement of the operating handle 22, the double rod 99 likewise rises and disposes roller |99 in the second step 98 where it remains until the lever 22 is returned to normal position by the operator (after the disc 2| has come to rest and unlatched the bar 69) whereupon the rod 99 is drawn downwardly again and the step lever is likewise depressed against the tension of the spring 96, thus pivoting the whole bank of selector springs 89" in a clockwise direction toward the upper or horizontally extensive portions of their corresponding selector fingers 89, it being remembered that one of these fingers has theretofore been moved or raised by deposit of the coin 90 on one of the levers 89, so that when the bank of springs moves forward the raised selector iinger will be engaged thereby and yieldingly urged toward the now stationary disc 2|, the springs missing all of the fingers except the one that has been raised.

Should the disc 2| have stopped so as to position a particular one of a plurality of selector holes or apertures (Fig. 3) before the raised selector finger 89 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 14 (or 89a, Fig. 15), such nger would have its horizontal nose portion projected through the aligned hole by its corresponding spring B9" in the advancing bank of springs, so that the projected nger will engage a bail plate |92 (Figs. 2 and 3) pivotally mounted as at |03 behind the disc 2| for the purpose of actuating a repeatoperating arrangement or some other controlled instrumentality, in this instance a coin ejector slide |04 (Figs. 2, 10, 11 and 12).

Actuation of the controlled instrumentality or coin slide E24 is eiected through a lever |05 moved by the bail plate and connected through a rod |36 to the upper end of a latch rod |01 pivoted in the housing as at |38 and having its lower end portion |99 movable into and out of a notch ||0 (Figs. 10 and 1l). The .latch rod |07 is normally urged by a spring so as to dispose the lower end |09 in the notch lill to latch the slide |04 against movement (toward the left, Fig. 1l) by its spring i 2. hen the slide is free to be moved by spring l2, a discharge opening $3 in the slide will be disposed in register with the discharge opening ||4 so that a coin theretofore resting in the opening i3 by gravitating movement from the counting tube H5 will be positioned over the discharge opening H4 and pass out a counting discharge chute IG leading into the counting receptacle |65.

Each time the control lever 22 is moved into disc operating position a depending restoring Iever on the main shaft 24 pushes a link ||8 which pivots a bell crank |9 (clockwise, Fig. 11) so as to retract the slide |84 against the spring |I2 by means of a link connection |20 attached to the slide. In this manner each operation of the lever 22 resets the ejector slide |04, the latter being locked in this position by the detent or latch lever lill-|09 (the purpose of which will later appear).

Coinv collection During the foregoing operations the coin 90 (Fig. 2) has rested against the bail 9| on its corresponding selector lever 89 and as soon as the operating handle 22 is restored to normal the main crank arm 60 is lowered to normal position and encounters one end |2i (Figs. 8, 9 and 15) of a lever |22 pivoted as at |23 and having its opposite end pivotally connected to the twisted offset end |24 of a bail tripping rod |25 which has a notch |22 formed at its upper end.

When the crank lever 60 was first raised, the lever |22 was pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction, thus lowering the notch |26 in the rod |25 beneath the angled end portion 9|' (Fig. 8) of the bail 9|, so that when the operating handle 22 is subsequently restored to normal to lower the crank lever 6D, a portion of the latter will bear against an end portion |2| of the lever |22 and raise the rod together with the bail 9| resting in the notch |26, whereupon the coin 90 (Fig. 2) will be permitted to roll oi its lever 89 into a chute |21 which directs the coin into the counting stack H5 above the ejector slide |04. As the released coin moves down the Chute |21, it encounters a light lever |28 pivoted as at |29 at one side of the chute and having its outer end portion operatively engaging a switch |30, the circuit through which is closed by the passage of the released coin over the pass-over lever |28 (Fig. 14) the switch |30 being adapted to actuate a main control circuit in a manner hereinafter to be explained.

It would be possible by violently restoring the lever 22 to a normal position to reset the operating mechanism without raising the bail 9| sufficiently to free the coin, and in order to prevent such fraudulent operation of the device there is provided a further fraud-preventative means in the form of a depending arm |3| (Fig. 8) attached to the end of the offset portion 9|' of the bail 9| and having a normally bowed over-center spring |32 secured thereto at its free end, the opposite end of the spring |32 being anchored in a member |33, the spring being bowed as seen in Fig. 8 when the bail is in its lowered or coinblocking position.

Attached to the bail 9| at a convenient point is a vertical rod |34 having a weight |35 slidably mounted thereon and normally resting against a shock absorbing spring |36 at its lower end. Thus, when the lever 22 is violently retracted and the bail 9| is jerked upwardly (by rapid upward movement of the rod |25), the weight |35 due to inertia reactions with the spring |36 will be thrown violently upward on the rod |34 and tend to lift the bail 9| so that the over-center or snap spring |32 will momentarily straighten out (vertically), thus completely raising the bail until the spring |32 bows in the opposite direction, so that the bail is positively released and it is impossible to manipulate the device in any manner to retain the deposited coin on any of the selector levers.

Circuit connections The master control or actuating mechanism which is controlled by the selector means may take any one of a variety of forms, and While our invention is particularly directed to the selector means and operating mechanism therefor including the disc, the selector fingers, and the actuating instrumentalities cooperable therewith, we have nevertheless described one form of con- -trolled mechanism in conjunction with the circuit diagram of Fig. 14, and to this end the permuting disc 2| has mounted thereon an annular bus bar |37 provided with a radial contact finger |38 having a contact point |39 which protrudes through a special opening |40 in the disc and offset from the selector openings |0| so as not to 'oe engaged by any of the selector ngers 89 (Fig. 13). Mounted in spaced relation about an insulated ring |4| (Fig. 3) are a plurality of wipers or contact ngers |42 any one of which may cui-t for energizing any one of the selector de vices |43, |44, etc. l

It is to be understood, of course, that any type of control mechanism, whether electrical or mechanical, can replace the electrical control circuit described in conjunction with Fig, 14 for purposes of illustration. However, to complete the example given, -there is shown in this figure an amusement device in the form of an electric phonograph having a plurality of movable record trays each controlled by any well-known form of selecting mechanism, and schematically represented in this instance by the several seleotor arms |53, |54, |55 and |55 and each adapted to be actuated by oneoi the electromag nets |43|46 so that one of the trays |56 may be turned by i-ts driving mechanism |51 into playlng position for engagement by pick-up |58 havl ing connection with a reproducing mechanism including a speaker |53.

Thus, when the disc |2| has come to rest and a circuit has been established through the contact finger |33 and one of the wipers |42 to actuate electromagnet |46, the corresponding record tray |56 will be moved into playing position as illustrated when the coin 9|) is released and passes over the switch operating arm |23 to close the switch |30, thus simultaneously energizing the selector magnet |43 and operating magnet |49 which is connected in circuit with the mechanism |51 and finally sets the amusement or other controlled device into operation.

Another function of the novel selector mech anism, including the selector fingers and disc apparatus, is that of controlling the operation of a repeat-operating or free-play mechanism such `that after the controlled amusement or phonograph apparatus has once been operated by de I posit of a coin, the registration of the selector disc with one of the selector fingers will permit the controlled amusement or -phonograph appa-- ratus to be operated another time without deposit of another coin. This is accomplished by the storage of coins in the counting tube ||5 above the slide |04, it being observed that when the tube is filled the subsequently deposited coins will overow into a deflecting chute Il'iil (Fig. 3 particularly) which guides the coins into a main receptacle Il.

Whenever one of the selector fingers registers with the disc to pivot the bail |02, the ejecting slide |04 is actuated in the manner heretofore described so that one of the coins will pass into the counting `chute H6, transiently engaging a repeat-operating switch arm |62 to close a repeat switch |33 shunted by conductors |64 around the main operating switch |38, and thus again energizing the control magnet |49 and effecting a repetition of the number previously played, the ejected coin lmeanwhile continuing on down the counting chute into a counting receptacle |65 which serves to segregate the free-` play coins from the coins in the receptacle IBI to enable a proper accounting of single and double-play coins for proprietary reasons.

Detailed statement of operation The coin slots |1 are preferably numbered as indicated in Fig. 1, the numbers corresponding to the numbers of phonograph record selections appearing on the instruction card I8, and further corresponding to the numbers visible through the sight opening 20 and carried on the disc 2|. If the patron is indifferent, he may deposit a coin in any of the openings |1 and disregard the numerical designation thereof; or, the coin may be deposited in a particular opening in expectation of the receipt of a free play, provided the permutation disc 2| stops at the proper position.

The deposited coin will rest on one of the selector levers 39 which corresponds to the particular slot in which the coin was deposited, the coin 90 resting on the lever and against the bail 9| to rock the lever in a clockwise direction as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the result being that one of the lselector fingers 83 will be` raised into selecting position before a corresponding selector spring 89" in preparation for the subsequent selecting operation of the mechanism. (See Fig. 15 also.)

Meanwhile, the patron moves lever 22 forwardly, that is, away from him (anticlockwise in Fig. 2), with a resultant spinning of disc 2| caused by rocking shaft 24 (Figs. 2 and 3), which rock-s eccentric crank 26 through link 91, pulling down upon rod 28 and lever 29 to bow spring 3|. Spring 3| is 4connected to a pawl 33 engaged in `the teeth of ratchet 33 which is arranged to r0- tate with disc 2|, but during initial movement of the operating lever 22 to tension spring 3|, the disc is restrained against rotation by locking pawl 40, the latter being released, however, by the downwardmovement of rod 45 connected to one of the shorter lever arms 46 of the multipleA crank means 25-46--|i0,7which effects a withdrawal of the locking pawl 4|) so that pawl 33 is snapped forward to spin the disc 2|.

Operating lever 22 is automatically locked in its forward position by dropping of pawl 13 into not-ch 14 (Fig. 2) in a link E6 which is connected as at 65 (Fig. 8) with an arcuate lever 63 in which is formed a notch 62 engaging the end 6| of multiple crank arm 6|) when the latter moves or ward to spin the disc so that the multiple crank arm (which is fast on operating shaft 24) cannot be retracted.

The spinning movement of the disc is automatically varied by action of a brake 49 (Fig. 3) normally engaging in notches on the disc and moved variously into and out of braking engagement with the edge of the disc by action of a brake arm 55 floating coaxially of the lspinning shaft 38 of the disc (Fig. 6 particularly) and impositively clutched to the latter by action of a spring 51 having opposite ends 53 pressing into slots 59 through the hub portion 55a of clutch l' arm 55 so as to grab the spinning shaft sleeve 33 frictionally with a tendency to carry said arm rotatably therewith (anticlockwise, Fig. 3)

' to raise the brake 49 variously out of braking engagement with the disc.

As a further part of the means for varying the spinning action of the disc, there 'is provided a means for varying the tensioning of spring 3| by the operating lever, this means including the bell crank 26 which floats (Figs. 2 and 16) on an eccentric `collar 85 rigid with ratchet 8E. A drop pawl 85 on crank arm 85 turns the ratchet, and hence the eccentric collar, each time the main operating lever 22 is advanced. Thus, the fulcrum of crank 26-26' is shifted successively to change the stroke of rod 28 which tensions spring 3|.

The operating lever 22 remains locked in advanced or forward condition until disc 2| comes to rest whereupon it is automatically released by action of clutch arm 56 in drop-ping back (Fig. 3, clockwise) to normal position to rock bell crank 68 through link rod 69 and pull up on rod 12 to raise locking pawl 13 (Fig. 2) out of latching engagement with the latch rod 66 so that the patron may not retract the operating lever to actuate the selecting mechanism and set the phonograph in operation.

The phonograph is actuated by retraction of the unlatched operating lever 22 which causes the bail 9| to be released with a consequent movement of coin 90 into the chute |21 (Figs. 2, 14, 15) where the coin engages switch operating means |29 to close switch 39, setting the phonograph in operation by action of one of the record selectors kia-|46. As shown in Fig. 14, circuit connections to the record selectors are permutated by spinning of the disc 2| to position the contact nger |38 with one of the contacts |42 to complete an operating `circuit for one or another of the selectors which will be energized by a closing of the coin switch |39.

Release of the coin 99 follows retraction of the main operating lever as a result of the lifting of coin retaining bail 9| (Figs. 3, 9 and 15) owing to the engagement of multiple crank arm 69, upon retraction of main operating lever 22, with a portion |2| of lever |22, the notch portion |26 of which was engaged beneath the angled portion 9|' of the coin bail by forward movement of the main operating lever in the manner hereinbefore described. Thus, rod |25 is raised, with a corresponding movement of bail 9| to release the coin for movement into the coin chute |26 to operate coin switch means 12B-ISS and start the phonograph as aforesaid.

Positive coin releasing movement of bail 9| is assured by the fraud-preventive means hereinbefore described in detail and including the inertia weight |35 which will be thrown upwardly by a violent movement of rod |25 consequent upon a similarly violent return movement of the main operating lever, so that the over-center leaf spring |32 will straighten out momentarily and, through its connection with bail 9|, assure a positive upward movement of the latter.

Actuation of the selecting mechanism is effected as a result of the fact that when lever 22 was moved forward, rod 99 was raised by action of multiple crank arm 6|) on operating lever shaft 2d to dispose the roller 91 in the next higher notch 99 on step lever 95 (Fig. 2), and when the operating lever is restored or retracted, rod 99 is pulled down, effecting clockwise movement of step lever 95 and rocking the entire bank of selector springs 89 in a clockwise direction to engage any of the selector fingers 89' which may have been raised by action of a coin 99 rocking any of the selector levers 89. This movement of the selecting springs will cause any selecting finger raised into selecting position to be pressed forward and into an aligned hole |9| in disc 2|, the nose portion 89a of such iinger passing through the hole and bearing against the bail plate |92 (Fig. 2) to rock the latter with P a consequent movement of rod |95 (Fig. 3 also) and cooperating coin slide latch rod |01, thus withdrawing latch portion |09 from notch ||ll in coin ejecting slide |04 (Figs. 11 and 12).

Slide |94 is normally latched as aforesaid (with its spring ||2 tensioned) by each operation of the main operating lever shaft 24, and the restoring lever 1 fixed thereon and which is connected through link H8 and bell crank ||9 to retract the slide (Figs. 10, 11, 12).

Unlatching of the coin slide |94, as aforesaid causes a coin to be ejected from hopper ||5 for movement into chute IIS to actuate repeat switch means IGZ-|33, thus energizing whichever of the record Iselectors la-|46 may be connected through disc contacts |38--|42, etc., to actuate the phonograph a second time.

It will be apparent that the novel selector mechanism of our invention is applicable to other controlled apparatus than the specific phonograph mechanism described herein for purposes of illustration, and the unit disposed in the housing I5 has been designed for purposes of portability and provided with a cable connected plug or outlet 23 (Fig. 1) by means of which the device may be readily connected with the controlled amusement or phonograph mechanism of Fig. 14 or any other apparatus.

Having thus described our invention in particular form, it is to be understood that the appended claims are intended to include all equivalent forms and arrangements as interpreted in view of the teaching of the drawings and speciiicaticn and within the fair scope .and intent of the invention in its broader aspects.

We claim:

1. In a selecting mechanism, rotatable permutating means and drive means for rotating the same, said drive means including an operating lever arranged when moved in a particular direction to effect rotation of the permutating means, selector ngers mounted on pivoted selector arms all disposed in a normally lowered position opposite said permutating means, and constructed to be raised by the weight of a coin thereon to raise the corresponding selector linger, means including a bank of presser fingers mounted opposite said selector fingers for movement past the same toward said rotatable permutating means, any raised selector finger being engaged and pressed into selecting position for selecting cooperation with said permutating means, spring means normally positioning said bank of presser iingers away from said rotatable permutating means and the selector fingers, and means for moving the bank of presser iingers for operative engagement with a raised selector linger and including a bank actuating lever and means cooperably linking the same with said iirst-mentioned operating lever for actuation thereby only when the lever is moved oppositely to said particular direction.

2. Select-ing mechanism including a bank of selecting iingers each arranged for movement from a normal ineffective position into selecting position, means for directing a coin element onto any of said selecting fingers for operation by weight of the coin element into selecting position. a plurality of presser nngers and means mounting the same for movement as a group relative to said selecting lingers, each selecting finger having a corresponding presser finger which is arranged for operative engagement with the corresponding selecting finger when the latter is in selecting position, and permutation means arranged for movement relative to said selectingr ngers for cooperation with any of the latter which is in selecting position provided the permutation means is in a certain position relative to the selecting linger Which is in selecting position, means for moving said permutation means,

and means for moving said presser fingers as a group into and out of position for coaetion with said selecting fingers in the manner aforesaid.

JOHN 'I'. HAYNSWORTH, JR. WILLIAM E. JOHNSON. 

